'Tug of War'

Alexandra Woodley is fresh out of college and coming back home. It’s her first trip back in four years. Most things have changed, but Alexandra’s (majorly) attractive and arrogant neighbor Gavin is still they exact same. Let the game begin.

**This is for Rosiejb's Contest**

Submitted:Mar 31, 2012
Reads: 108
Comments: 3
Likes: 1

To be
honest I didn't really miss home very much. Sure my parents are
lovely people, but there is something about going home that
depresses me. Maybe it's all the missed chances or maybe it's
just that I don't like confrontation.

If
anybody sees me right now they're probably thinking I'm trouble.
I'm simply just sitting in my car, right in front of the house I
grew-up in. Everything looks exactly the same as I remember it.
The house is still the happy yellow and the windows all have
white shutters. The only thing missing is the white gate, but my
step-father took that out shortly after he married my mother. The
driveway even looks the same. It's a shared driveway, so I can
see both my parents' car and the neighbors' car.

I
don't know why I can't just get out and go talk to my parents.
But I'm nervous. I'm scared that they don't want to see me. Hell,
they haven't seen me for four whole years. I never came home on
holidays or breaks, nothing. I wonder if things would be
different if things didn't end like they did.

It is
the dumbest reason in the world now that I think about it. Well,
I like to think of it as a unique more homemade type of game.
Thinking about it now makes me feel stupid for even holding this
grudge. But it all started my senior year of high school. The
Carson's moved in next door. I remember it was a warm April day,
which was pretty normal. My mother told me to go welcome the
Carson's into the neighborhood, so I did. Aren't I such a good
girl? Anyways, I knocked on their front door and waited patiently
for an answer. I was expecting an older man or woman, but no,
instead I got a guy who looked my age or a tad older. He was one
of the most attractive guys I have ever seen in my life. He
looked like he was straight out of a male modeling magazine. He
was perfect with his suntanned skin, light brown hair, and
sparkling blue eyes. Gosh, his eyes really sparkled in the
sunlight. He was at least six feet two in height too. I didn't
know what to say, I was just standing in front of him like a
wooden board. After a while of just standing like an idiot I
finally said what I came to say.

But
it didn't go down like I'd expected.

The
majorly attractive guy wasn't sweet at all. Instead, he just
laughed at me and then made a joke about me staring at him. I
could tell right off the bat that he knew he was hot stuff, so I
instantly regretted staring at him. I really, really wanted to be
a bitch back, but I held back. I introduced myself and waited for
him to say something, anything. He told me his name was Gavin.
After that I walked away. I didn't say anything more or
less.

But
this isn't the reason I never come home. It has to do with a
little game Gavin and I would play. We called it tug of war. It's
not the childhood game where you pull a rope; it was more of a
prank game. A game of who could get the other more pissed off.
Back then we thought it was the best idea ever. But it went too
far.

It
was the beginning of May. I had just pranked Gavin pretty bad. I
got his girlfriend to break-up with him, which at the time was
funny. After that prank Gavin didn't really do any more
pranking. I thought it was over and I won. I was
wrong.

He
asked me out.

At
first I thought he was just messing me with me. But soon I let my
wall fall and I completely fell for him. And then the joke was on
me. It was graduation and he thought it would be great to tell me
it all was a joke in front of the whole graduating class and
their families. I haven't been able to face my family for four
years all because of my next door neighbor. Isn't that
stupid?

But
he broke my heart.

I
come back to reality. It's time to see my family. I open my car
door and quickly walk over to the trunk. I unlock it and grab my
suitcases. I thought about bringing more, but I decided on just
my clothing.

Walking
up to the front door is taunting. The door is now in front of
me. I put my bags down on the porch and then ring the doorbell.
Waiting is something I'm not very good at. I grow more and more
nervous.

Suddenly
I am looking directly at my mother. She looks the same. It's like
she didn't age at all. Her hair is still light blonde, her eyes
are still light blue, her skin is still perfectly tan, and she's
still five feet three.

"Hi mom," I barely get out.

"Alex, is that you?"

I nod
vigorously. She pulls me into a tight hug. It's exactly what I
have needed. Gosh, I really missed her. Why did I have to be so
stupid?

"John! Alex's is home!" she yelled into the
house.

My
step-father John ran out of the house. He hugged me as well and
then kissed the top of my head. Even though he's not my real
dad, I love him just as equally.

"It's nice to see you Alex."

I
just smile.

*

After
settling in, I feel like going for a walk. I'm not used to the
sunshine. Going to college in Washington wasn't the best weather
wise. I don't want to see rain for a long while.

I
feel like a completely new person in summer clothing. I haven't
worn my pink and purple floral tank top, short black shorts, and
pink wedged sandals in years. I put on my pink sunglass and I tie
my hair up in a loose bun. I feel like I am my complete self
again.

I
tell my parents that I'll be back later tonight. Walking outside
is like complete paradise.

And
then the feeling is gone and nerves fill me. I didn't expect to
see Gavin yet. But there he is, in the shared driveway working on
his car. He looks the same, but I can tell that he isn't 18
anymore. He's even more handsome than I remember. And he
defiantly got buffer.

Praying
that I look invisible I just walk right on by. He can't be able
to look over at me when he's working on his car. I mean all his
concentration must be on his car, right?

Wrong.

"Alexandra Woodley?" he says in more of a question
form.

I
turn around even more nervous than before. "Hello
Gavin."

"Gosh, I haven't seen you since-"

"High school graduation," I say cutting him
off.

He
looks a bit embarrassed. I don't know why though. I bet he has a
shit load of laughs about breaking my heart. I let it
go.

"It's nice to see you again."

I
roll my eyes and say, "yeah, right."

I
don't wait for him to say anything else. I just walk right off. I
don't want to have to talk to him about graduation or why I never
returned until now. He doesn't need to know that I actually fell
in love with him. He doesn't need to know anything about
me.

*

Some
would say that I am acting like a child, I beg to differ. Gavin
deserves his own medicine. The funny thing about knowing Gavin is
that we have most of the same friends. Calling up Joseph wasn't
that hard. He is one of Gavin's best friends, so of course he
would love be in on a prank.

Gavin's
car is his baby. If anything ever happened to his car he would
probably cry right on the spot. No, I'm not going to ruin his
actual car or anything, I don't a lawsuit. I am actually going to
have Joseph "borrow" Gavin's car and then we're going to wreck a
car that looks just like his. I found the exact same car as
Gavin's at the junkyard a few miles down the highway. Gavin is
going to have a hissy fit.

I'm
going to love this.

Waiting
for Joseph to pull up in the wrecked car is annoying. I despise
waiting more than anything in this world. That is short
lived.

Gavin
practically runs out of his house when Joseph pulls up. I don't
know if he was waiting for his car or if he just wanted to see
Joseph. The look on Gavin's face is priceless. He looks as if he
is looking at a dead human being. But no, it is just "his" dark
blue mustang.

"What the hell did you do?" Gavin yells at
Joseph.

By
the look on Joseph's face I can tell he's holding back a
laugh.

I
take it up on my own to go over and tell Gavin it's a joke. I
feel like Ashton Kutcher walking over to the celebrity that just
got Punk'D

"Hey Gavin. Your car is looking nice as per
usual."

"You did this didn't you?" He's defiantly
angry.

"And why would I do something like this to
you?"

Gavin
rolls his eyes and then kicks the car tire. I've never seen him
this mad before. He wasn't even this mad at me when I got his
girlfriend to break-up with him. God, this car means more to him
than I even know.

"This isn't your car Gavin," I admit. I don't want him to
get violent or anything.

"You're exactly the same Alex."

I
wink at him and then walk back to my house. "You are too
Gavin."

*

Waking
up outside is not something I enjoy. I am beyond confused. All of
my stuff from room, including me, is out on my front lawn. I wipe
the sleep out from eyes and I stand up. I'll give it to him, this
was a good one. I just want to know how he got into my room.
That's the only creepy part.

After
brushing my hair, teeth, and getting dressed I go back outside. I
start bring all of my stuff back upstairs to my bedroom. I am so
thankful that I don't have a lot of useless junk. Mostly
everything out here is clothing or makeup.

I
notice Gavin is sitting happily in his front lawn watching me. He
has a (sexy) smirk on his face.

"Thank you Gavin!"

Rather
than continuing to put my stuff back into my room I walk to the
side of my house. I grab the green gardening hose and I turn on
the cold water. I'm very grateful that my mother is still into
gardening because the special spray hose is still connected to
the hose. Without any warning I start spraying
Gavin.

"What the fuck Alexandra!" he screams at me.

"This is for all the shit you have put me through!" I yell
back.

At
this point he is completely soaked. I will admit that he still
looks as attractive as ever. Is there anything that can make him
look worse? I'm guessing not.

Out
of nowhere he has a hose. Hose water is way, way colder than I
expected. Well, remembered. I haven't had a good water fight in
years and years. Gavin is now a few inches away from
me.

"You're going to get it Alex!"

"I hate you Gavin!"

Part
of me is being honest. But I know the majority of me is lying.
Gavin is somebody I have yet to really get over. It's sad I
know. I love somebody that looks at me as a real, true
joke.

"Please don't say that," he says in almost a
whisper.

He
lets go of the hose and looks me in the eyes. I let go of my hose
too. Looking into Gavin's eyes is magical. Damn, I wish my eyes
were as perfectly blue as his. I'm doing exactly what I did when
I met him four years, staring like an idiot.

"You broke my heart Gavin! I have all the right to hate
you! You made me not want to come home, so I didn't. I put my
family through hell because I was too scared to see you! Do you
have any idea how pathetic that is?"

Surprisingly,
I've always had the ability to be utterly honest with Gavin.
Lying to him is one of the hardest things to do. I guess that's
why when I prank him I have to admit to it right away, even
though he knows it's me right away.

"I'm sorry Alex. I didn't mean to hurt you. But when we met
we got off on the wrong foot. I was a dick to you because I
wanted to impress you. You seemed so cool and you're beautiful
and I didn't know what to say! That all started that tug of war
prank game and well, I know I went too far and I realized that
when you left. Gosh, I sound so shallow for realizing it then,
but I always loved being around you. I just didn't know that I
loved it that much. I didn't know that I was actually in love
with you Alex."

"You don't think I love you too?" I barely got these words
out. Gavin's lips are on mine. I practically make him fall over
by jumping up and wrapping my legs around his waist. My hands
find their way to the back of Gavin's wet hair. Gavin starting
kissing down my neck and then goes back up to my lips. This time
his tongue flicks my bottom lip, asking for our tongues to meet.
I let him in and I can feel everything I missed. The fireworks
and lightning mixed together, the tingling all over my body, and
most of all, the exciting love feeling I have for
Gavin.

We
release and look into each other's eyes again.

"I'm glad you came back," he tells me.

"I am too."

Even
though we still played our little tug of war game, we found our
way back to each other. And that is all that matters to
me.